Character reading apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for reading a series of magnetic characters on a bank check is herein disclosed. The characters are preprinted in a certain way within a predetermined area of the check. Also, the characters within the series of characters may be any character from a predetermined group of characters. The apparatus includes a housing which defines a specific path through which the check, oriented in a predetermined way, is intended to pass. The housing supports a magnetic read head for sensing the magnetic characters on the check as it passes through the apparatus and for producing an electrical signal unique to each character. The housing also supports automatically moving the check through the path defined by the housing at a speed which is intended to be constant but which may vary randomly within a certain tolerance. This moving of the check through the apparatus produces the electrical signals as the characters move past the read head. A character recognition is electrically connected with the read head and is responsive to the electrical signals for identifying the characters without monitoring the speed of the check as it moves through the apparatus even when the check moves through the path at a random varying speed so long as the variation in speed stays within a certain tolerance, for example ±10%.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for reading a series of characters which are preprinted in a certain way and within a predetermined area on a bank check, each of the characters within said series of characters may be any character from a specific group of characters which are divided within the group into at least three subgroups, said apparatus comprising: (a) an apparatus housing defining a specific path through which said check, oriented in a predetermined way, is intended to pass during normal operation of the apparatus;   (b) means including a read head supported within said housing at a fixed read point adjacent said path for sensing each said characters at said read point as said check, oriented in said predetermined way, is caused to move through said path and for producing an electric signal unique to each character;   (c) an arrangement for automatically moving said check, oriented in said predetermined way, through said path without the manual assistance of an operator at a speed which is intended to be constant but which may vary randomly, whereby to produce said electrical sights as said characters move past said read point; and   (d) character recognition means connected with said read head and responsive to said electrical signals for identifying maid characters without monitoring the precise speed of said check as it moves through said path, even when said check moves through said path at a random varying speed, so long as the variation in speed of the check stays within certain tolerances, said character recognition means including   means for storing certain attributes respectively unique to the various characters making up said specific group and   means for identifying any one of said characters within said series by (i) first identifying the only two subgroups within which that one character most likely resides, thereby eliminating from consideration the other subgroup or subgroups making up the specific group, and   (ii) thereafter comparing the one character's unique electrical signal to the stored attributes of those characters within the two identified subgroups only without comparing the one character's unique electrical signal to the stored attributes of those characters within the other subgroups.     
     
     
       2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined area on said check within which said series of characters are preprinted is divided into a set of adjacent cells, one for each character, wherein each cell is divided into a plurality of equal zones, wherein the characters common to each of said subgroups of characters physically take up the same number of zones within a cell, which number differs for each subgroup, and wherein said means for identifying any one of said characters includes means for approximating the number of cell zones the one character takes up within its particular cell in order to identify the only two subgroups within which that one character most likely resides. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said specific group of characters are divided into four subgroups, wherein each of said cells is divided into ten zones, wherein each of the characters within the fast subgroup occupies the last four zones within its cell, wherein each of the characters within the second subgroup occupies the last five zones within its cell, wherein each of the characters within the third subgroup occupies the last six cell zones within its cell, wherein each of the characters within the fourth subgroup occupies the last seven zones within its cell and wherein said means for approximating the number of cell zones the one character takes up within its particular cell in order to identify the only two subgroups within which that one character most likely resides includes means for measuring at least approximately the occupied zones within the cell or the length of said one character. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said characters are magnetic characters including the numbers 0 through 9 and special characters referred to as AMOUNT, ON-US, TRANSIT, and DASH. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said four subgroups of characters include a first subgroup containing the characters 1 and 2, a second subgroup containing the characters 3, 5 and 7, a third subgroup containing the characters 4, 6 and 9, and a fourth subgroup containing the characters 0, 8, AMOUNT, ON-US, TRANSIT, and DASH. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the electrical signal unique to each character is an analog waveform and wherein said means for storing certain attributes respectively unique to the various characters making up said specific group includes means for storing a digitized vectorization of the analog waveform of each character, said waveform including a plurality of waveform peaks, said digitized vectorization including a plurality of vectors representing the location, magnitude, and direction of at least some of said waveform peaks, and each digitized vectorization serving as the unique attribute for its associated character. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said means for identifying said one character within said series includes means for converting the analog waveform of said one character to a digitized vectorization of that waveform and comparing this latter digitized vectorization to the stored attributes of those characters within the two identified subgroups. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus fix reading a series of characters which are preprinted in a certain way and within a predetermined area on a bank check, each of said characters being any character selected from a specific group of characters which are divided within the group into at least three subgroups, said apparatus comprising: (a) an apparatus housing which defines a specific path through which said check, oriented in a predetermined way, is intended to pass during normal operation of the apparatus;   (b) means including a read head supported within said housing at a fixed read point adjacent said path for sensing each of said characters at said read point as said check, oriented in said predetermined way, is caused to move through said path and for producing an electric signal unique to each character;   (c) an arrangement for automatically moving said check, oriented in said predetermined way, through said path at a speed which is intended to be constant but which may vary randomly, whereby to produce said electrical signals as said characters move past said read point; and   (d) character recognition means connected with said read head and responsive to said electrical signals for identifying said characters without monitoring the precise speed of said check as it moves through said path, even when said check moves through said path at a random varying speed, so long as the variation in speed of the check stays within certain tolerances, said character recognition means including (i) means for storing certain attributes respectively unique to the various characters making up said specific group and   (ii) means for identifying any one of said characters within said series by first identifying the only two subgroups within which that one character most likely resides, thereby eliminating from consideration the other subgroup or subgroups making up the specific group, and thereafter comparing the one character's unique electrical signal to the stored attributes of those characters within the two identified subgroups only without comparing the one character's unique electrical signal to the stored attributes of those characters within the other subgroups.     
     
     
       9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the predetermined area on said check within which said series of characters are preprinted is divided into a set of adjacent cells, one for each character, wherein each cell is divided into a plurality of equal zones, wherein the characters common to each of said subgroups of characters physically take up the same number of zones within a cell, which number differs for each subgroup, and wherein said means for identifying any one of said characters includes means for approximating the number of cell zones the one character takes up within its particular cell in order to identify the only two subgroups within which that one character most likely resides. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said specific group of characters are divided into four subgroups, wherein each of said cells is divided into ten zones, wherein each of the characters within the first subgroup occupies the last four zones within its cell, wherein each of the characters within the second subgroup occupies the last five zones within its cell, wherein each of the characters within the third subgroup occupies the last six cell zones within its cell, wherein each of the characters within the fourth subgroup occupies the last seven zones within its cell and wherein said means for approximating the number of cell zones the one character takes up within its particular cell in order to identify the only two subgroups within which that one character most likely resides includes means for measuring at least approximately the occupied zones within the cell or the length of said one character. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said characters are magnetic characters including the numbers 0 through 9 and special characters referred to as AMOUNT, ON-US, TRANSIT, and DASH. 
     
     
       12. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said four subgroups of characters include a first subgroup containing the characters 1 and 2, a second subgroup containing the characters 3, 5 and 7, a third subgroup containing the characters 4, 6 and 9, and a fourth subgroup containing the characters 0, 8, AMOUNT, ON-US, TRANSIT, and DASH. 
     
     
       13. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the electrical signal unique to each character is an analog waveform and wherein said means for storing certain attributes respectively unique to the various characters making up said specific group includes means for storing a digitized vectorization of the analog waveform of each character, said waveform including a plurality of waveform peaks, said digitized vectorization including a plurality of vectors representing the location, magnitude, and direction of at least some of said waveform peaks, and each digitized vectorization serving as the unique attribute fix its associated character. 
     
     
       14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said means for identifying said one character within said series includes means for converting the analog waveform of said one character to a digitized vectorization of that waveform and comparing this latter digitized vectorization to the stored attributes of those characters within the two identified subgroups. 
     
     
       15. An apparatus for reading a series of characters which are preprinted in a certain way and within a predetermined area on a particular document, each of said characters being any character selected from a specific group of characters which are divided within the group into at least three subgroups, said apparatus comprising: (a) an apparatus housing which defines a specific path through which said document, oriented in a predetermined way, is intended to pass during normal operation of the apparatus;   (b) means including a read head supported within said housing at a fixed read point adjacent said path for sensing each of said characters at said read point as said document, oriented in said predetermined way, is caused to move through said path and for producing an electric signal unique to each character;   (c) an arrangement for automatically moving said check, oriented in said predetermined way, through said path at a speed which is intended to be constant but which may vary randomly, whereby to produce said electrical signals as said characters move past said read point; and   (d) character recognition means connected with said read head and responsive to said electrical signals for identifying said characters without monitoring the precise speed of said document as it moves through said path, even when said document moves through said path at a random varying speed, so long as the variation in speed of the document stays within certain tolerances, said character recognition memos including (i) means for storing certain attributes respectively unique to the various characters making up said specific group and   (ii) means for identifying any one of said characters within said series by first identifying the only two subgroups within which that one character most likely resides, thereby eliminating from consideration the other subgroup or subgroups making up the specific group, and thereafter comparing the one character's unique electrical signal to the stored attributes of those characters within the two identified subgroups only without comparing the one character's unique electrical signal to the stored attributes of those characters within the other subgroups.     
     
     
       16. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said document is either a United States Bank check or a bank check from a particular foreign country, wherein said series of characters are provided in accordance with a specific U.S. standard in the case of the United States bank checks and a different, foreign standard in the case of bank checks from a particular foreign country, wherein said character recognition means identifies only U.S. characaters, and wherein said apparatus further includes means for automatically distinguishing between U.S standard characters and foreign standard characters and separate character recognition means for identifying foreign standard characters when the latter are detected by said read head. 
     
     
       17. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said certain tolerances are at most ±10%. 
     
     
       18. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said certain tolerances are at most ±10%.